Abstract:

In this study 24 cpSSR primer pairs were screened, and four pairs were found producing DNA fragment length polymorphism from the tested populations of Castanea mollissima. In order to estimate genetic variation and genetic structure of chestnut, we surveyed four wild and nine cultivated populations in China with cpSSR markers. The results showed there were 3 average number of alleles (N_a), 1.635 effective number of alleles (N_e) and 0.381 expected heterozygosity (H_e), from 4 loci in 128 samples. Apparently, the parameters of cpSSR loci were much lower than those revealed by nuclear SSRs. The combinations of all the length variants of alleles from four cpSSR loci finally presented eight haplotypes in the nine populations of C. mollissima. The Qinling mountainous region and Tianmushan mountainous regions possessed the richest haplotype diversity (respectively 0.671 and 0.781). Based on cpSSR data, we estimated the genetic structures of the wild and cultivated chestnut populations and discussed the origins of the cultivated C. mollissima in China.

Key words: Castanea mollissima, cpSSR, haplotype, genetic diversity